Ash transferring device



Feb. 25, 1941. R, KER-R 2,233,365

' ASH TRANSFERRING DEVICE Filed June 1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l e7 er 87'? MM H BY M ATTORNEYS Feb. 25, 1941. H. R. KERR ASH TRANSFERRING DEVICE Filed June 1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JirbeY'ZJ'KKer-P- BY My ATTORNEYS W TNESSES Patented Feb. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved device for transferring ashes or the like from the ash pit of a furnace or boiler to an ash can or similar receptacle.

i The removal of ashes from an ash pit and their transference to an ash can or other recptacle is a burdensome task usually accompanied by considerable dust, dirt and disorder.

It is a prime object of the present invention to facilitate this task and to eliminate or minimize the dust, dirt and disorder which accompanies it.

In carryin out my invention I provide a casing adapted to be placed on an ash can or similar receptacle and having a closure through which a tray which previously received the ashes in. the ash pit may be inserted. After the tray is in the casing the closure is closed and the tray is inverted so as to dump the contents into the ash can. Since the casing and closure encases the entire top of the ash can it will be seen that the dust, dirt and disorder usually associated with the transfer or handling of ashes is eliminated.

In the accompanying drawings in which I have shown one embodiment of my invention- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention showing it applied to the top of an ash can;

Fig. 2 is a bracket used for supporting a removable tray in my device;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View partially fragmentary on the line 33 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View in the direction of the arrows on the line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan View in the direction of the arrows on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

My improved ash transferring device comprises a casing l0 which may be of any desired shape but is conveniently made of hexahedral shape as shown. The casing is placed on the top of an ash can I! or similar receptacle and is open at the bottom as indicated at l2 so as to communicate with the interior of the ash can and is provided with an apron it having a circular depending flange which fits around the periphery of the top of the ash can. The interior of the casing is provided with an apron l5 which may be of any desired shape such as the hexagonal shape illustrated and which is adapted to direct ashes from the casing into the ash can. As shown, the apron I5 is attached to the interior walls of the casing a short distance above the bottom thereof and tapers inwardly to a point adjacent the top of the ash can to provide a relatively restricted opening of smaller diameter than the diameter of the ash can.

I also provide inside the casing a bracket I8 which is adapted to receive a removable tray l1.

on which the ashes are deposited in the ash pit of the furnace or boiler. The construction of the bracket [6 may be varied but I have found that satisfactory results are obtained from the bracket illustrated which is formed of three connected angle irons with a connecting strip at the front. Extending upwardly from the frame and forming part of the bracket are the retaining hooks I8 having their upper ends projecting inwardly so as to retain the movable tray on the bracket when it is in inverted position. The bracket'is of such a size as to conveniently accommodate the tray and the retaining hooks l8 preferably are formed so that the inwardly extending portions engage, or are nomore than a short distance 0 above, the top of the walls of the tray. The

' bracket is supported in the casing by means of the shafts I9 and 2D, the latter being formed with a crank or handle 2| which projects outside of the :casing and permits the operator to manipulate the-bracket so as to shift the tray between upright position as shown in full lines in Figs. 3 and 4 and inverted position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

The front wall of the casing is provided with an opening 22 through which the tray may be inserted and removed and the opening is provided with a closure 23 pivotally mounted as by means of the hinges 24 to the frame 25 that surrounds the opening. The closure is releasably retained in closed position by means of the locking bolts 26 controlled by the external handles 21. The opening 22 is of such a size as to permit the tray to be conveniently inserted therethrough.

So as normally to retain the bracket and tray in upright position I provide a locking shaft 23 which extends across the casing projecting therethrough on both sides thereof in the manner shown. On the one side the locking shaft 28 projects into the path of movement of handle 2| so as to prevent the handle from pivoting upwardly. Inside the casing the shaft is positioned beneath the bracket l6 and it thus prevents the forward portion thereof from pivoting downwardly. In this way the bracket is effectively held in fixed position under normal conditions.

When it is desired to invert the bracket so as to dump the ashes from a tray positioned thereon into the ash can the locking shaft 28 may be shifted to the right as viewed in Fig. 1 until it is out of the path of movement of the handle 2!. The handle 2| may then be raised upwardly so as to cause the bracket and tray to assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. After the ashes have been deposited in the ash can the tray and bracket may be returned to normal position by means of handle 2| and the locking shaft 28 may be shifted again into the path of movement of the handle to retain it in that position. 7 V

The movement of locking shaft 28 is preferably limited in a predetermined manner by means of stops or lugs 29 fixed to the shaft on the inside of the casin as shown most clearly in- Fig. 5. The position of the lugs is such as to permit the shaft to shift into and out of the path of movement of handle 2| but so as to prevent the shaft from being accidentally released from the apertures in the casing.

It will be appreciated that my improved ash transferring device may be made of many different types of material such as galvanized iron or other metals. The tray H is preferably, for convenience, provided with handles as indicated at 30 so as to facilitate its insertion and removal from the ash pit and from the casing.

In using my device a tray similar to the tray 11 is first placed in the ash pit of the boiler or furnace from which the ashes are to be transferred so that the ashes are deposited therein. The casing II] is placed on top of the ash can or other receptacle in the manner illustrated and when the tray I1 is full it is removed from from the ash pit, inserted through the opening 22 and placed on the bracket 16. Closure 23 is then closed, locking shaft 28 is shifted out of the path of movement of the handle 2| and the bracket and tray are inverted by turning the pit into an ash can is eliminated and a simple, convenient, and tidy operation is substituted in its place.

It will be appreciated that while I have illustrated and described one embodiment of my invention that many.changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the accompanying claim.

I claim:

An ash transferring device comprising a cas- 1;

ing adapted to be applied to the top of an ash receptacle and having an opening at the bottom thereof communicating with the interior of the receptacle, a bracket pivotally mounted in the casing, a removable tray positioned onthe bracket, a handle on the outside of the casing for shifting the bracket, said bracket being shiftable between upright position so that the ashes will be retained in the tray and inverted position so that the ashes are dumped from the tray into the ash receptacle, said casing being provided with an opening adjacent the bracket to permit the tray to be inserted and removed therethrough, a closure for the opening shiftable between open position to permit the passage of the tray and closed position so that the top of the ash receptacle may be entirely enclosed by the casing and closure when the ashes are dumped from the tray into the ash receptacle and a releasable locking device for releasably retaining the casing so as to prevent the bracket from tilting forwardly towards the opening, one end of said rod projecting through the casing and the rod being shiftable within predetermined limits in the direction of its'longitudinal axis so that the projecting end thereof can be shifted into the path of movement of the handle to prevent tilting of the bracket and out of the path 'of movement of the handle to permit tilting of the bracket in a direction away from the opening in the casing.

HERBERT R. KERR. 

